The Dinosaurs

By society's standards, we became senior citizens fifteen years ago. That means we could collect Social Security, receive pensions from former employers and a few discounts from restaurants. My husband and I realize our advancing age means the world is passing us by in a lot of ways and its sometimes hard to keep up. 

Artificial intelligence is taking over many aspects of daily life, not always in a good way. Our insurance app tracks our driving behavior. Banking, income taxes and bill paying have all gone online--that's actually something I like. Signing up for new home and auto insurance? Go online. Get in touch with friends? Use texts, FaceBook and Instagram. In the market for a new book, birthday present or household item? Amazon will deliver it in a day or two so you don't have to go shopping. Want to watch a movie or TV show? Find it on Netflix, Prime, Max, or any number of streaming services. These were all unknown to us just a few years ago.   

Here are a few things we will probably never change, although technology has crept into these as well:

• Bar soap: We don't like scented soap or shower gel, so we order six bars of unscented soap called Basic from Amazon
• Books: I'm not a fan of reading books online or on a Kindle. My preference is an actual book that I can hold, turning pages and sometimes going back to a passage to better understand the plot. Big fan of the public library and my book club.
• Network news: Although I read lots of news from different sources on my phone or desktop computer, I still watch the evening news on TV. Actual newspapers have pretty much fallen by the wayside, although I still miss reading the Philadelphia Inquirer with a cup of coffee.
• Written communications: Thank-you notes and birthday cards seem to be a dying art. I have only a couple friends that send them. People are more likely to put birthday wishes on FaceBook--I'm guilty of that, but also send the paper kind. I got my granddaughter personalized note cards for Christmas, but wonder if she will use them. 

So there you have it. Even though we are still traditional in our approach to many things, the internet and Amazon have managed to creep in to many aspects of our lives. We learn from our children and grandchildren all the time as they incorporate technology into their daily lives. The world is changing at an amazing pace and we're just trying to keep up!